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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · board · fan · bowl · key · court · cabinet · kick

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. court — of law
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. board — a committee
  8. court — for sport
  9. board — to get on
  10. key — the most important part
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bound — certain
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. kick — in football
  20. bound — tied together
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. key — in music
  23. court — of a king
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com